CD Releases

"Music is music whether it is for the stage, rostrum or cinema. Form may change, the manner of writing may vary, but the composer needs to make no concessions whatever to what he conceives to be his own musical ideology ....."

includes Korngold's "Vier Walzer" and works by
Zeisl, Toch, Schoenberg and Castelnuovo-Tedesco:

Eric Le Van, Piano.

Release date: 12 Aug 2013

Contrary to the Music and Arts website - and reportedly the CD liner notes as well - this is not a premiere recording of Korngold's "Vier kleine fröhliche Walzer."This is actually the fourth recording of the work.

Tänzchen im alten Stil is an 8-minute piece written by Korngold while in his early twenties during military service in WWI. The work was given its world premiere performance in 2007 in Jyväskylä, Finland, under the direction of John Storgårds, who on this CD conducts the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.

Korngold's Sinfonietta, op. 5

coupled with the world premiere recording of the complete incidental music (full orchestral version) to

Much Ado About Nothing, op. 11

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
John Storgårds conducting

released in Europe on Nov 2012

John Storgårds and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra provide the world-premiere recording of the complete set of 15 numbers comprising Korngold's incidental music from Much Ado About Nothing (Viel Lärm um Nichts). Previously unavailable numbers include 2, 5, 10, 11, 13, and 15. Originally written for chamber orchestra, it is performed here by symphony orchestra. For more details about this incidental music, see our "Feature" below, and our website page about the UNC School of the Arts 2012 stage production.

Feature:

Viel Lärm um Nichts, Op. 11
(Much Ado About Nothing)

Korngold received a commission to compose incidental music to accompany a new production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing being prepared in 1918. He created 15 numbers for the play - including a vocal piece for the page boy Balthazar - for an enhanced chamber orchestra, owing to the lack of musicians caused by World War I. A concert suite of several of the longer numbers was premiered in January 1920, and the play with complete incidental music premiered in May 1920 in Vienna.

Incidental Music

Two recent recordings have each collected the entire incidental score on one CD.

John Storgårds and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra provide the world-premiere recording of the complete set of 15 numbers. Previously unavailable numbers include 2, 5, 10, 11, 13, and 15. Originally written for chamber orchestra, it is performed here by symphony orchestra.

John Mauceri and the students of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts present the first recording of Korngold's complete incidental music in its restored theatrical version. This original chamber orchestra version, based on the original performance scores, includes repeats and short cues used for the 1920 stage production.

Concert Suite

Korngold's music to Much Ado About Nothing was so popular, he published his concert suite, using five of the original pieces in a re-ordered sequence. This suite was in the repertoire of over 100 orchestras prior to 1938. The Strasbourg Philharmonic on the Pentatone label is the latest, and an excellent example of the concert suite. The ASV releases contain the world premiere recordings of four additional numbers from the original incidental score.

Instrumental Suite

Scheduling conflicts interrupted the original run of the play's production, making the orchestra unavailable for continued performances. Korngold reworked the score for piano (himself) and solo violin (Rudolf Kolisch) so the prodcution could continue. From this version for duet he prepared a four-movement suite for violin and piano for publication. Several recorded versions are represented below.

Historic recording from 1941 with Korngold at the piano.

Gil Shaham and Andre Previn released in 1994.

Live recording from the 2004 Salzburg Music Festival.

A recent recording by Wolfgang David and David Gompper.

The charm and popularity of this suite - it was played by Heifetz, Kreisler, Elman, Seidl, and others - have prompted other musicians to make versions for their own instruments. The famous violist Lionel Tertis adapted one movement for viola and piano, Michael Schlechtriem prepared a complete suite for cello and piano, and Joel Quarrington has a version of the "Garden Scene" that is undeniably appealing.

Michael Schlechtriem's own version for cello of the complete instrumental suite.

Joel Quarrington with a version of the "Garden Scene" number for double bass and piano.

Three pieces for solo piano

A further version of the music from "Viel Lärm um Nichts" was prepared by Korngold for solo piano, presumably assembled for mass consumption. (Piano music was the preferred method for the popular enjoyment of music in the home before the era of mass-produced recordings.) For this particular suite Korngold utilized "Maiden in the Bridal Chamber", "Dogberry and Verges (March of the Watch)", and "Masquerade (Honrpipe)". Below are three recordings of this piano suite.

Ilona Prunyi on the Marco Polo label with one of the earliest recordings of the piano suite.

Ingrid Jacoby on the Carlton Label includes the premiere recording of Korngold's op. 19 "Caricatures", plus the "Four Waltzes for Piano."

Martin Jones's recording also includes a collection of rare arrangements of Korngold's music for piano two- and four-hands.